


What Once Was Mine

by Flamia



Category: Homestuck, Mobsterswitch - Fandom, Problem Sleuth (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-13
Updated: 2012-03-13
Packaged: 2017-11-01 21:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamia/pseuds/Flamia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Godhead Pernicious Innovator regards his creation grimly.</p><p>His heavily jewelled fingers brush a petal, and it glows for a moment, then it falls.</p><p>It will regrow, only different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Once Was Mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sharky](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sharky).



> Am I allowed to be inspired by Disney's Rapunzel soundtrack for a Mobsterswitch brainfart?
> 
> ...Sharky this is all of your fault. /shakefist
> 
> Gotta love your feels punching, though. Credit to you for those parts of our roleplay I inserted into the fic, and for the main plot idea, and this is of course dedicated to you <3

_Flower, gleam and glow  
Let your power shine  
Make the clock reverse  
Bring back what once was mine  
Heal what has been hurt  
Change the Fate’s design  
Save what has been lost  
Bring back what once was mine  
What once was mine_

_\-- Disney’s Rapunzel, “Healing Incantation”_

 

“Scoff…?”  
“Sorry Doll, but it's you or me, and I ain't lettin' you nowher-”

_Bang._

_The perspective of the world changes in a matter of seconds. Now Scofflaw is at his feet, literally, when a moment earlier he had been staring before him and at the growing stain on his chest with mild surprise. He fell with a “oh.”_

_Scout looks up at Deadeye, who has been following him, again. Seems like he can’t just trust him even for a simple tailing. But well, it is about Scofflaw, right? You never know with him, especially…around Scout?_

_The bony detective is utterly confused. This isn’t how it was supposed to be. Scofflaw would never hurt him, right? Not more than necessary. It has been like that since he can remember, always them having their scuffles, each party doing their job and playing their role of detective or mobster, but then at the end of the day Scout would retrieve himself into Scoff’s arms, somewhat like Deadeye with Innovator, although in an even more careless and irresponsible manner of dealing with feelings that shouldn’t have belonged to such opposites._

_How does that gun still belong into Scofflaw’s hand as he wheezes on the floor? How is the other gun in Deadeye’s hand smoking._

_Scout suddenly remembers, years before but not so many. Scent of sheets and afterglow._

“It's just...well, I told you. I really don't like the idea of havin’ to choose at some point.”  
“I won't make you.”  
“For DD and PI...’tis like a game for them. They can go from almost killin’ each other to just cuddling. For me...well th’ idea of fightin’ you isn't that appealin’ anymore, not even when ya pull a heist and we go all crossfire.”  
“Everythin’ will be fine.”  
“I would really like to believe that.”

You were about to start on about how you actually tried. Pulling yourself out of crime. Did your best and I were doing a good job at it, too, sort of. Then Scoff came along and...but then he kissed you and you just shut up and kissed back. It wasn’t rough like usual, it was tender and loving, like a promise. You smiled in it.

“I love you.”  
“I love you, too.”

“…You never loved me, right?”

Scoff stares up at you, eyes wide and body twitching. You can read the fear in him. Even the almighty Scofflaw is afraid of dying alone in a pool of blood on the cold floor of a warehouse. He makes no exception. He is no exception. He’s a criminal, he’s a human being. He’s made to hurt and fear.

“…yeah. I should’ve guessed.”

Your good eye is fogged with tears, yet you feel oddly empty as you raise the gun, how long has it been dangling from your hand for again? …doesn’t matter. It’s the new reality.

“Goodbye, Scoff.”

A shot, and he stops twitching. You like to think that, while Deadeye’s blow sounded somewhat composed, right in place, yours had a more definite quality, a tragic note. Somehow.

Hard to say how you get to your apartment after, but it has to do with Brawler’s car and he is there with you, pushing a cup of coffee in your hands.

\---

_Later, Deadeye and Brawler have a short exchange of texts._

“He’s crying, D. I dunno what to do.”

_Deadeye’s brain is at frantic work under the usual cold, collected façade. He knows Innovator will be angry. He’ll have to face him and it won’t be pretty, but with some strategy and time he hopes to calm him down. Something like this was going to happen sooner or later, they both knew it. Scout should’ve known. Deadeye hopes he can cope with it._

You hesitate for a moment before texting back.

“Me neither.”

\---

_Godhead Pernicious Innovator regards his creation grimly._

_His heavily jewelled fingers brush a petal of the nightshade flower, and it glows for a moment, then it falls._

_It will regrow, only different._

\---

_It’s been a month since Scout disappeared._

_He didn’t leave a message…well he left several, all scrawled angrily and crumpled up and scattered around his flat, amidst several bottles of whiskey. The main subject of all of them was he quits._

You did your very best to find him, all three of you. He couldn’t have gone too far in that state, right? Well, turns out he could. He had the presence of mind of buying a ticket on a general mileage pricing, without telling anyone where was he headed off to. And we’re talking about something like a 130 miles radius. Even if you tracked down his destination, he could’ve already just taken off for somewhere else entirely from there, and you’re but wasting time. Of course, sitting with your thumb up your ass isn’t making you feel better.

You splash some more water on your face, trying to get a better hold onto consciousness. It’s been one of those weeks. Innovator won’t talk to you, although he did let you know what he thought about Scofflaw’s demise by spending a good twelve hours in the attic, only you, him, and his electrocuting equipment. The voltage was two notches higher than usual. It almost gave you a heart attack, but only because his hand slipped. After that you woke up unceremoniously dumped on the floor of your office, not on the couch as usual.

You feel like shit.

You head back to the office and, looking through the opaque glass of the door, you notice someone. A dark figure sitting at your desk.

You reach for the gun under your armpit. Not Innovator, he’s more subtle than that. Not Delinquent, he is far rougher. You didn’t hear a sound of a window opening, neither a single object shifting.

You peer through the chink of the door and… for once you can’t give credit to your eyes.

You step inside. Your gun is trained on the target, just for safe measure. But he just sits there, hands knitted on the desk and a sick, triangular grin crossing his face.

“Scout…?”  
“Nope. Scofflaw here, mate. Don’t you think black suits me a lot better?”

**Author's Note:**

> ...I must admit, I added that GPI part as I went along. I was bothered because the first part of Rapunzel song had very little to do with what was going on in Scout's mind, aside for the clock reversing part. Then I remembered this talk with Para about how GPI would be holding a crawling nightshade flower rather than a lotus, and it kinda fit in? So thanks for the idea, bby  <3
> 
> /casually sips tea
> 
> ...oh, may I add? There's also a fanart that inspired greatly the ending, especially the image of Scout sitting at Deadeye's desk. It is actually a picture of Slick, but close enough. http://wachtelspinat.tumblr.com/post/16933298788/just-messing-around-here-or-there-which-ever-way
> 
> Gives you shivers, eh? So thanks to Watchelspinat as well for this great piece. 
> 
> /ollie outies to work


End file.
